When parenting a child with special needs self-doubt can wear away at our confidence like water on stone. If not aware, a little at a time, we can scrape at our solid ground to make way for feelings of incompetence, inadequacy, and insecurity.

At one point, parenting books no longer match our child’s development. Eventually, we cannot find our family in social media posts that display the idealized portrait of a family.

Even within the special needs community, we stand out a mile.

The marked differences can chip away at our self-worth. We become hard on ourselves. We begin to wonder if we are qualified to do this. We ask why we’re even on this boat. Who thought it was a good idea for me to mother this boy facing so many challenges?

There will come a time when you will know more about your child than professionals. I have been on-the-job training my son’s entire life. When those seeds of doubt try to implant themselves in my heart with harsh words of failure, I know better to blow them elsewhere. You can do it, too.

Affirmations to Restore Confidence and Overcome Parental Self-Doubt

Even though I have questions about my ability to parent a child with special needs, I know that I’ve got this.